The Reluctant Duchess (25 page)

She turned to Ross in confusion. “Is this one of your homes?” He'd said he owned many.

“Not mine.”

She frowned. “Then whose home is this?”

“Yours.”

Her frown deepened. “Mine?”

Ross's smile seemed to stretch from ear to ear. She'd never seen him look so pleased with himself. It was quite the contrast from the first time she'd seen him that day in his drawing room, with his wet hair and scruffy beard.

“I confess that it was mine until a few days ago. I have turned it over to you. It is completely in your name and your name alone. The dowry your father gave me is in an account under your name only. My hope is that you will start your school for orphaned children.”

Sara stared at him, dumbfounded, then turned back to the house with new eyes. Except she couldn't see it through her tears. She'd never owned anything like this in her life. And to think that it was all hers was beyond her comprehension.

Slowly, her hand came up to cover her trembling lips. Her parents stood to her side, her father smiling and nodding at her. Even her mother looked a little less severe, and Elizabeth beamed.

Sara swallowed and looked at Ross again. Then, unable to contain her excitement, she threw herself at him. She hugged him tightly as the tears broke through.

“Thank you,” she whispered. “Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.”

“So do you like it?” he asked as he pulled away to look down at her.

“I love it. It couldn't be a more perfect gift. I can't wait to fill it with teachers and students and…” It was all so overwhelming. “I want to find her,” she said softly. “I want to find that girl we saw the first time we visited Mrs. Kettles. I want her to be one of my first students.”

“I will set Montgomery on it as soon as we return to London.” Ross gently turned her toward him. “Sara Ferguson, you know I love you, don't you?”

She nodded, too overcome to speak.

“But I want you to know that I also admire you. You are courageous and kind, and you have the biggest heart of anyone I've ever met. I think I fell in love with that big heart the moment I found you sitting in my drawing room, looking more scared than a cornered rabbit but determined to find out who was writing those letters. I love that you don't take no for an answer and that you have the courage to stand up to me. I love most that you're willing to put aside your fears to spend the rest of your life with me. You will be a beautiful, elegant duchess, but more important, you will be a success with this school because you're stubborn. You're also brave. I couldn't be more proud to have you as my wife.”

Speechless, she touched his cheek as her tears overflowed. “I'm only brave and courageous because your love makes me brave and courageous. Thank you for loving me.”

He swept her up in a fierce hug. Behind them, Carolina and Elizabeth sniffed, and her father surreptitiously wiped his wet eyes.

Ross set her down and she turned to look at the house, envisioning what it would take to make it a great school for children who thought life had given up on them.

She searched for and found Ross's hand and squeezed his fingers tight.

“We are where we are supposed to be,” she whispered.

As always to John, Megan, Nic, and Abby, who put up with this crazy career I chose. I couldn't do it without you all.

And thank you to my readers, who keep me going by posting awesome things on my Facebook page and generally just cheering me on. You're all the best.

Writing books is not a one-person job. There is a host of people who help with the production of each book. A huge thank-you to my agent, Jessica Alvarez, of BookEnds Literary Agency; to my wonderful editor, Sue Grimshaw; and to all the marketing people at Random House Loveswept who help me promote my books and schedule all kinds of online appearances.

But before my books reach them, I have some really great writing friends who are always available to bounce ideas off of. Thank you to Christine Warner, Kristina Knight, and Sonja Goedde.

The Notorious Lady Anne

Loving the Earl

Pleasing the Pirate

Sebastian's Lady Spy

His Saving Grace

The Reluctant Duchess

Sutherland's Secret
(coming soon)

PHOTO: PAM JONES PHOTOGRAPHY

The Reluctant Duchess
is
S
HARON
C
ULLEN
's sixth historical romance with Loveswept. Her other novels include
Sebastian's Lady Spy, His Saving Grace, The Notorious Lady Anne,
The Infamous Lord Blythe,
and
Pleasing the Pirate.
Sharon is also the author of romantic suspense, paranormal romance, and contemporary romance.

If you'd like to find out more about Sharon and her books, you can visit her at her blog or her website. She's addicted to social networking, so you can find her on Facebook and Twitter.
Friend her! Like her! Follow her!
She'd love to hang out with you and talk about her passion—
books.

sharoncullen.net

Facebook.com/​SharonCullenAuthor

@SharonCullen

Thirty days hath September, April, June, and November
…wait, it is November, and Loveswept is releasing some of our best books of the year! Check out these fabulous romances:

New York Times
bestselling author Marquita Valentine releases her second new novel in her Boys of the South spin-off series Take the Fall series with
When We Fall,
in which a small-town sweetheart takes a chance on the bad boy who's always been her hottest fantasy. Another Loveswept
New York Times
bestselling author, Tracy Wolff introduces her new Hotwired series with
Accelerate,
where a sexy carjacker takes a would-be starlet for the ride of her life.
New York Times
bestselling author A. Meredith Walters releases a powerful romance akin to
The Fault in Our Stars
with
Butterfly Dreams.
Then, welcome to Thistle Bend! A charming series debut from Tracy March,
Should've Said No
introduces a small town where old secrets are revealed—and wounded hearts are opened to new love. And in a short novel, Rebecca Rogers Maher's
Rolling in the Deep,
two kindred spirits share a winning lottery ticket—and discover what it really means to get lucky.

Sports fans were introduced last month to the Aces Hockey series by Kelly Jamieson with
Major Misconduct,
and this month Kelly releases a holiday romance,
Off Limits
. Book two in the Recovered Innocence series by Beth Yarnall features a San Diego investigative team with a soft spot for lost causes and a passion for redemption in
Vindicate
. And
Taking It Off,
by
USA Today
bestselling author Claire Kent introduces you to Matt Stokes, the sexy-as-sin male stripper and club owner who knows what it really means to bare everything. Jessica Lemmon's irresistible Lost Boys series kicks off with
Fighting for Devlin
the story of a good girl who plays by the rules—and the bad boy who brings out her wild side
.
And in Cecy Robson's O'Brien Family series debut, two total opposites find that the flames of desire are still smoldering in
Once Kissed.

For historical romance fans, Sharon Cullen's
The Reluctant Duchess
ignites as a shy country girl and a hotheaded duke surrender to dangerous temptations. Then it's on to Scotland for
USA Today
bestselling author Jennifer Haymore's Highland Knights and the first book in this new series,
Highland Heat,
an electrifying tale of class warfare, fierce loyalties, and forbidden love.

I don't want this month to end! But the good news is December is upon us with more fabulous Loveswept titles. Until then…

Happy Romance!

Gina Wachtel

Associate Publisher

by Sharon Cullen

A
BERNATHY
P
RIORY,
S
COTLAND

J
UNE 1746

“What the bloody hell is Campbell doing here?” Colin MacLean growled. “I'll no' have anything to do with anything that has a Campbell involved.”

“Easy, bràthair,” Brice Sutherland said quietly.

He caught Colin by the neck of his shirt and pulled him away from the door he was heading toward. Colin tended to act first rather than think first. Brice, on the other hand, was curious to see what this clandestine meeting was all about, although he had his suspicions, and he didn't like his suspicions one bit.

“Let's see what Graham has to say first,” he said.

Nearly a fortnight ago Brice had received a missive from Alasdair Graham, one of the oldest and most respected Highland chiefs. It said naught of what he wanted, only that he required Brice's presence on this day in this priory.

Brice had hesitated in coming. 'Twas not a good time, but if Graham requested his presence, then it had to be important. He'd been surprised to discover that there were around a dozen other chiefs here.

A gathering of Highland chiefs was very dangerous, indeed.

Just six weeks past, the Scottish Jacobite army had been defeated by the English in the Battle of Culloden. Since then the English had been rounding up any Jacobite supporters they could find and killing them, or arresting them and imprisoning them.

No, it was not a good time for the chiefs to gather for a secret meeting. If they were discovered, they would be put to death.

Colin grumbled beneath his breath and leaned against the wall, his hand on the butt of his pistol and his eye firmly fastened on Campbell, who sat off to the side, his back to the wall. Brice eyed Campbell as well, not trusting the man in the least.

MacLean shifted beside him. “Sinclair is here as well,” he muttered with a tip of his chin toward the man.

Brice nodded to Evan Sinclair, who nodded back. They were a mixed bunch, part English sympathizers, part Jacobites, and part clan chiefs such as Brice, who had not fought on either side of the Battle of Culloden.

“What do ye make of this?” MacLean asked.

“Interesting,” Brice said.

MacLean grunted.

A door on the far side of the room opened. Every chief, including the English sympathizers, tensed. More than one hand went to the hilt of a sword or the butt of a pistol. A few even stood in readiness. Alasdair Graham stepped through the door. Those standing sat, and all hands relaxed from weapons, but all eyes watched the elder chief curiously.

He made his way through the silent room until he stood before them. “No doubt ye are all wondering why I brought ye here.”

There were murmurs of agreement, but Brice remained silent.

“I don't have to tell ye that this meeting must be kept secret. If the English discover we have met…well, we all know the consequences.” Graham paused to eye the inhabitants of the room. “Much thought went into this meeting and whom I could trust,” he said.

Jacobites glared at English sympathizers, who glared back.

“As ye can see, I drew no lines. I have invited clans from both sides of the war, and I expect every one of ye to behave civilly.”

“The man is daft,” Colin muttered.

“I think we can all agree that the atrocities perpetrated against our people by the English are unconscionable,” Graham said into the silent room. “Our women and children need our protection. They're being abused and slaughtered. Our men are arrested for no reason.”

One chief pounded on the arm of a chair. “Death to every Sasannach,” he bellowed. His outcry was followed by loud cheers, the loudest coming from Colin.

Graham held up his hand. “I did no' call ye here to propose more war. We have no' the resources, the men, or the weapons to fight the English in that way. But we can protect what is left of Scotland and those who cannot protect themselves.”

“What do ye want from us?” someone called out.

“I want ye to be the watchers, the Tèarmannair, the protectors. I want ye to devote what men ye can to patrolling our countryside, no' to engage the English but to watch over those who have no voice and no arms against the English.”

Brice had been correct: He wanted nothing to do with this. What Graham was proposing would cost manpower he didn't have, not to mention put his life and the lives of his men in grave danger. He liked Graham's plan, admired the initiative, but where in the hell would he get the men?

There was a loud murmur of assent. Heads were nodding, and men began speaking to one another of where they should patrol.

“Why invite a Campbell?” MacLean shouted, causing all conversation to come to a halt. Many glared at Campbell. For his part, Campbell stared impassively back.

Graham looked at MacLean in disappointment. “Because Campbell has as much to lose as ye do if the English proceed as they have been. Because for once Scotland and its chiefs need to unite against a common enemy instead of fighting amongst ourselves for petty offenses.”

And so the Tèarmannair was formed, a mixture of chiefs who were allies and enemies, friends and foes, but who all swore to protect the defenseless and who all possessed Highland pride.